The present disclosure relates generally to orthopedics and in particular to the therapeutic cooling or heating of a sore or injured body part.
It is known to use chilled water to cool and sooth a sore or injured body part. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,241,951 and 5,330,519 describe a cold therapy unit that uses chilled water. The patents call for a variable flow restrictor for temperature control. The more the flow restrictor is restricted, the less water flows through the cooling pad, resulting in a higher therapy pad temperature. The less the flow restrictor is restricted, the more water flows through the cooling pad, resulting in a lower therapy pad temperature.
While known devices have provided therapeutic cooling, the devices have had certain drawbacks. For instance, temperature control for certain of these devices has been difficult, leading to instances in which water has been chilled to a level that is uncomfortable for the patient. Also, certain devices cause the ice to melt too quickly, expending the thermal potential of the device. Further, it is desirable to ensure that the water delivered to the cooling pad is not uncomfortably cold.
Still further, with certain cold therapy units, the patient is required to fill a bath with ice and water. This filling can be an area of complaint, especially when the duration of the ice bath is diminished due to overcooling and melting the ice too quickly. Here, the user needs to ambulate and replace the ice frequently to continue therapy, which is often performed immediately after surgery when cooling is most required and moving is most difficult. A need accordingly exists for an improved system and method for the use of ice water baths.